A laboratory has opened in Greater Manchester for the testing of smells.

Odournet UK has opened the odour laboratory and consultancy office in Bowdon where it will conduct odour sampling and analysis from sites such as sewage treatment works, factories and landfill operations.

The lab is the firm's second UK site and was chosen for its transport links and proximity to Manchester Airport.

Odournet said the new lab gives it a base from which to expand and better serve its clients in the north of England, Scotland and Ireland.

The odour laboratory is only the third of its kind in the UK and uses trained odour panellists to appraise and characterise odour samples, with the aim of helping to solve environmental odour nuisance problems and assess consumer products such as deodorants.

Head of olfactometry Charlotte Skinner said: “We take air samples from sites and then bring them back to the lab to get our panel to smell them.

“There are machines that can measure levels of certain chemicals in a sample, but they still can't measure lots of different chemicals as well as the human nose can.”

The lab currently has three staff and has also recruited a panel of 25 local people to smell and assess samples.

It also plans to expand its consultancy offer in the region, advising firms on how to tackle odours.

Managing director Nick Jones said: “The new office is an exciting step in the growth of Odournet in the UK.

“It offers us an excellent opportunity to enhance the level of service we provide to our northern client base, and also promote the application of sensory odour science to a wider audience.”

The company is part of the Odournet Group, which employs 60 staff throughout Europe.